Lamb Meatballs in Roasted Root Sauce

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Everyone loves meatballs, am I right? Well, this recipe is a firm favorite in our house because it is so full of flavor and, it goes without saying, nutrient-rich as well. I much prefer using lamb — it is a little fattier and therefore the balls are more succulent but, of course, if you prefer beef or even chicken, then go ahead.

You can easily make up the sauce a day or two in advance, so if you already have the oven on for something else, popping the veggies in to roast will save yourself some time later. You can purée them, leave the sauce to cool and then refrigerate until you’re ready to cook dinner. Making the meatballs in advance is also an option; quickly get them together in the morning and leave, covered, in the refrigerator. Then in the evening all you need do is fry them off, heat up the sauce and carry on with the recipe. Like you, I’m all for saving a bit of time!

Make the sauce. Heat the coconut oil in a roasting pan then cut the beets and carrots into similar sized pieces and put into the pan, together with the garlic. Cook for around 45-50 minutes, turning them half way through. Squeeze the garlic out of the cases and transfer to a blender, along with the roasted veggies, chicken broth, lemon juice and salt, and blend until smooth.

Meanwhile make the meatballs. Put the ground lamb into a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Fry a small amount of this mixture in order to check you have added enough seasoning and readjust if necessary. Form into 20 walnut-sized balls.

Heat a small amount of coconut oil in a large heavy based sauté pan and add the meatballs. If they don't all fit, you will need to do two batches. Brown the balls on medium heat, turning them to ensure they are evenly colored and regulating the temperature so they don't burn. Remove to a large plate and then pour the beet purée into the empty pan. Arrange the meatballs over the top, cover with a lid to stop the purée spitting and cook for around 10-12 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with grated horseradish and a sprinkle of chopped dill over the top.

Kate Jay is the blogger behind Healing Family Eats, since June 2014. Diagnosed years ago as hypothyroid, she and her family were already following the GAPS diet for digestive issues when Kate noticed swelling consistent with RA (something her grandmother had severely). She set up her AIP food blog (incorporating GAPS) as motivation for making the restricted diet as exciting as possible for her children, who felt they missed out on the junk their friends took to school. Originally a classically trained chef, who freelanced with popular food magazines and event organisers in the UK, she now focuses on creating simple, nutritionally dense and balanced family meals, without compromising on flavour. Find her also on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.

My 11-year-old son and I thought the meatballs were delicious. The dill and lemon (we omitted the horseradish) was such a welcomed change from regular meatballs. Light and summery. I used beef because I’m working up to lamb. My meatballs were a bit dry–but I may have overcooked them. (Another former vegetarian here.) The root sauce was delish too. They pair nicely but I’m sure will be great used other ways. Thanks so much for the recipe.

This root sauce is very similar to Mickey’s FauxMato sauce, which is fantastic, even for non-AIP eaters. However, I’ve converted the FauxMato sauce recipe to use the Instant Pot and a stick blender, so I can do everything using one pot and less time. Do you think this recipe would convert equally well, or is the roasting necessary for the flavor profile of this dish? Thanks in advance for your help!

Please update your cooking time from 1 minute. I was having a very chaotic day and looked at that briefly to see how long it was going to take to get dinner on the table and made my decidions around that. Just got home to find that it needs to cook for MUCH longer than that and it’s all I have for making dinner this evening.

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